Nigerian Football
REACTIONS TRAIL AGU’S COMMENTS ON ENYEAMA’S POSSIBLE RECALL
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Super Eagles’ goalkeeper trainers’ opposition to a possible recall of Vincent Enyeama to the World Cup-bound Nigerian squad has drawn varying comments.
Alloy Agu, a former Nigerian international and goalkeeper trainer in the Super Eagles had spoken to Sports Village Square about his opposition to the possible return of Vincent Enyeama to the Nigerian team.
The Nigerian goalkeeper trainer had hinged his opposition to the return of Enyeama on a possible ignition of crisis in the team as Enyeama may want to reclaim the captaincy and the possible pushing aside of those who laboured to see Nigeria pick the World Cup ticket.
But most are inclined to give Agu a knock for his views. Football aficionado, Godwin Dudu-Orumen wants Agu to provide an answer to whether the return of Goalkeeper Rufai brought crisis to the World Cup-bound team of USA ’94.
“And can he beat his chest and say the goalkeepers in camp now are anymore than his own average ability which wasn’t even tested in the World Cup?”, asked Dudu-Orumen.
“I commend the guy (Ikechukwu Ezenwa) who has been between the posts in the last three games or so. His mistakes are very elementary. Hopefully those weaknesses would have corrected in nine months before the World Cup”, remarked Dudu-Orumen.
He wants Alloy Agu to name two other goalkeepers than can bench Enyeama today in a fair contest. “If not, he should stop confusing the equation”.
Another enthusiast , Wisdom Agboola-Oluwa responding to Sports Village Square on facebook remarked: “Alloy Agu should know better than to say such much as he was not to be in the Super Eagles until he came as a replacement for injured David Ngodigah in the 1989 Yaoundé duel of World Cup qualifier. We eventually lost as he too lost a pair of frontal teeth.
Enyeama too would not have been if Coach Onigbinde had not insisted on taking a green horn like Vincent to the 2002 World Cup.
The return of Enyeama to the World Cup bound squad will do the team real good like our need to restart rather than restructure Nigeria, the thoughts of a truly patriotic Nigerian and football fraternity and confraternity member that remember the past.
Another Nigerian journalist of international repute, Osasu Obayiuwana commenting on the issue in a popular Nigerian Whatsapp platform, Nigeria Football Support Platform, remarked that Gernot Rohr is more than competent to make a decision about who makes the team. “If he picks Enyeama, it will be because he is still good enough. If he doesn’t pick him, it will be for the same reason”.
He however wants the self-exiled goalkeeper to do two things before his return. “Find a new club and regain match fitness. And after that, he has to make up his mind if he is ready to join the team on Rohr’s conditions, should the coach follow-up on his initial desire to have him back in the team”, Obayiuwana wrote.
He remarked further that “some of Rohr’s staff are apprehensive that his return could upset the harmony in the team. This has been the first time, for a very long time, where the Super Eagles players seem to share a common sense of purpose.
“As long as Vincent (Enyeama) is ready to accept the role and functions given to him by Rohr, which maintains the harmony the team currently has – and he is able to regain match fitness before May, having him as one of the three World Cup goalkeepers is just plain common sense” remarked Obayiuwana.
Continuing he wrote: “If Essam El-Hadary were a Nigerian, some of you will toss him into the bin. But he will be Egypt’s number one in Russia 2018”.
Even though Coach Gernot Rohr is hoping for speedy recovery of Carl Ikeme, Obayiuwana is of the view that he is highly unlikely to go to the World Cup in a playing capacity.
“He cannot recover from Leukaemia, resume his career and regain match fitness before May. But I hope Nigeria will take him to the tournament still, all-expenses paid.
But not everyone blames Agu for his views. Kola Daniel commenting on Nigeria Football Support Platform wrote: “enough of this Enyeama return… To come and do what in the team? Where was he when the team qualified?”
Another commentator on the platform, Muhammad Mansour Ibrahim wrote: “I don’t think we need Enyeama or any other (new) goalkeeper for now except for injury on the others on the bench.
“Enyeama has played his role over the years, let’s have another person…Ezenwa has shown that he too has come of age. Let’s allow the present guys to do us proud”.
A total of 30 women coaches have concluded the first of a three-module CAF C-License program in the Federal Capital, Abuja and are expected to commence a two-week internship with different teams in a few days.
Peopled largely by former Nigerian internationals and other serving coaches, the group was taken through a full week of rigorous classroom and practical sessions by a team of coach educators and resource persons, in a baptism of what the next two modules are likely to entail,
NFF Technical Director, Coach Augustine Eguavoen, told thenff.com that the first module has shown that the women coaches are actually desirous of learning.
“I am very much impressed with their attitude, mannerisms and conduct through the first module. They impressed everyone, and the coach educators also told me they were impressed, and are looking forward to having them back for the second and concluding modules.
“We are grateful for the leadership of the NFF for the support and encouragement for coach-education programmes all the time.”
The participants will return to Abuja for the second module that is scheduled for 12th – 20th August, after which they will go on another two-week internship, 23rd August – 4th September. The third module, which comes with examinations for the participants, will take place 9th – 19th September.
Dr. Terry Babatunde Eguaoje, NFF’s Head of Education, is among the coach educators’ team, which also includes Coaches Isah Ladan Bosso, Wemimo Olanrewaju and Lanrence Ndaks.
Among the 30 participants are former Super Falcons’ stars Precious Dede, Joy Jegede, Esther Michael, Maureen Eke, Otas Ogbonmwan, Vera Okolo, Cecilia Nku, Taiwo Ajobiewe, Gloria Ofoegbu and Amenze Aighewi. There are also Barr. Victoria Nlemigbo and retired FIFA referee Folusho Ajayi.
Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President and a FIFA Council member, Amaju Pinnick has expressed shock at last month’s outburst by Super Eagles’ striker, Victor Osimhen against Finidi George.
“It is very unfortunate”, Amaju Pinnick remarked on an Arise Television programme. The former NFF president said he had put a call to Osimhen who was very remorseful while the telephone conversation lasted.
“I told him he has to apologise, and I am sure he will if he has not yet done so.” Amaju remarked that he could not comprehend what went wrong as Osimhen was the most cool-headed player in the national team.
He went on to remark that Finidi George was not a personality to be disregarded like that. He has won virtually every honour available during his playing days and was a member of the Super Eagles at their peak when Nigeria ranked fifth in the world.
“I believe players should learn to respect their coaches”, said the former NFF boss.
Nigeria’s FIFA Council member, Amaju Pinnick has told the world that he has always been an advocate of foreign coaches for the Super Eagles. He spoke on Arise Television while fielding questions with Reuben Abati, Rufai Oseni and Ayo Mairo-Ese.
His reason for being averse to indigenous coaches stemmed from lack of respect for them by the players.
“Yes, the Nigerian coaches have the requisite knowledge and the technical ability, but modern football is beyond that in managing players.
“Will the national team players respect the coach? The sad thing is that they don’t”, said Amaju Pinnick.
He however revealed that he supported the appointment of Finidi George owing to the circumstances that the NFF found itself after the exit of Jose Peseiro.
The NFF, he revealed, had no money to hire a foreign coach. The body therefore went for the most available option, Finidi to ensure a smooth transition.
“Finidi was part of the coaching crew of Peseiro and it was therefore logical to ask him to continue.
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